New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-14
TESTIMONY AZ CHATSWORTH.
VARYING STATEMENTS AS TO THE CAUSE OF ]
rIpr IN THE FRIDGE

VARYING STATEMENTS AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE
FIRE IN THE BRIDGE
CHICAGO Aug. ia dispatch to The Times from
Chatsworth, H., says The Board OF Railroad Com
xisoners have begun Investigation OF the recent DIS
aser j. j. Sutherland OF the engineers OF the train
testified that the train about two hours late when II
Grew out OF Forest. He saw. as he approached the
bridge what seemed be flames the south side OF the
track He then that something was wrong with the
bridge, but it too late TO do anything. His fireman
called him jump. and leaped from the engine lie
10, on the footboard prepare himself for whatever
came but made up his mind not to jump. When lie
hrst saw the bridge 1t looked like embers III
seemed to burst into flames when he ran
Oh the bridge 1t was not raging
fire nor did it communicate with the the bridge
He saw, as he expressed it, death staring him In the
face He shut off his engine, and felt the bridge sink
He then opened the valve get the train through The
force of the train pushed the engine breaking II
loose from the tender. He stopped his engine and ran
back to the wreck. Witness carried water and extin-
guished every thing in the nature OF re lie
was running thirty and thrtyve miles an hour,
but could tell exactly He sad he saw the danger at
e The bein that Of burning embersor
Goals 1t was not blazing at the time There we're more
live cOa.s the under side OF the bridge witness SAID
be In his normal condition as lie crossed the
Bridge, inasmuch he expected to get out aye
There was question his mind but the bridge was on
fire lie had 10 stop the Tram between the time
he saw the fire and his arrival the bridge His engine
had 10 air brake Neither the whistle sounded for
lack of time. There could be doubt Of the bridge
being fire when the engine crossed The hames were
famed By the passage OF the train
John Rogers, fireman of sutherland's engine, was
sworn little fire the side OF the track near
the bridge night of the accident. He observed
sparks rising Goals in the OF the track and
jumped from the engine calling TO the engineer to o-
low Rogers and another fireman the engine to Piper
CITY and gave the the people OF the town. He
thought the bridge was bur ed when he jumped. lie
saw certain things which satisfied him that the bridge
was set on fire. The train running fast when the ac-
cident occurred
Axle Applegreen. the fireman the second engine OF
train said that lie leaning the ALL OF the cab
window on the efthand side when the engine jumped
Up the and turned its side He was scaded
and thought "he gone" he expressed it. lie saw
pois ng OF the fire the time of the accident but saw
Il Immediately afterward
L. r. Armstrong, superintendent of the road, was
sworn. lie the excursion train at
the time OF the accident. ON Tuesday
he ordered section men 10 20 the entire
sections under charge and inspect the bridges He
did this for fear of forest This order sent TO
C. f. Ennis division foreman at Gilman and ordered all
section men 40 their sections tue last thing on
Wednesday night and examine the bridges The train
was running from thirty TO forty miles an hour The
road is In fine condton-steel rails. with FISH bars
Before the coroners jury A. +. Doiph far'uer who
lives near the bridge testified that he smoke there
at about D. N. and fire about p. He thought the
fire WAS on the other side of the track from his house
Three section testified that Wednesday afternoon
they burned the bridge from the county
line to within forty rods OF the bridge, and that west OF
that point grass had been burned already 50 That the
IRE wnicn they smoking at o'clock could not nave
communicated 10 the bridge.